Wall panel for recreational vehicle

ABSTRACT

A wall panel for a recreational vehicle includes a main body defining at least one pre-formed panel opening, and an inwardly extending peripheral flange located along a perimeter of the at least one pre-formed panel opening. The wall panel is configured to be mounted onto a structural wall of the recreational vehicle such that the peripheral flange covers an inner surface of a corresponding opening defined in the structural wall.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 15/189,966, filed onJun. 22, 2016, which is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/318,296, filed Jun. 27, 2014, now U.S. Pat. No. 9,387,890, whichclaims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/841,792, filedJul. 1, 2013, all of which are incorporated herein by reference in theirentireties.

FIELD

The present application relates to a wall panel for recreationalvehicles.

BACKGROUND

Many recreational vehicles (RV) have walls that include various featuresor structures such as windows, doors, slide-rooms, vents, televisions,etc. In a conventional RV wall construction, a wall blank is firstproduced by constructing a frame from materials such as aluminum, wood,steel, etc., and filling the frame with insulation (e.g., foam,fiberglass batting, etc.) to form a structural wall. An interiorlaminate (e.g., wood paneling, fiberglass, etc.) is affixed to one sideof the structural wall to form the interior side of the wall blank, andan exterior laminate (e.g., fiberglass, aluminum, steel, etc.) isaffixed to the other side of the structural wall to form the exteriorside of the wall blank. Often, additional materials such as woodpaneling, Coremat®, or fiberglass will be included to stiffen thelaminates, add thickness, and/or prevent the frame of the structuralwall from “printing through” onto the laminate surface. The areas thatare to receive features are then cut out of the wall blank, and the cutpieces of the wall blank are either incorporated into other portions ofthe RV or discarded.

The rough-cut openings in the wall blank must then be finished with anadditional molding or covering before the respective features can beinstalled. Typically, this molding is specially-made from materials suchas aluminum, plastic, and/or composite materials. This process resultsin increased material and labor costs, and waste of expensive materials.Accordingly, improvements to the fabrication of RV walls are desirable.

SUMMARY

Several embodiments of a wall panel for a recreational vehicle are shownand described herein. In one representative embodiment, a wall panel fora recreational vehicle comprises a main body defining at least onepre-formed panel opening, and an inwardly extending peripheral flangelocated along a perimeter of the at least one pre-formed panel opening.The wall panel is configured to be mounted onto a structural wall of therecreational vehicle such that the peripheral flange covers an innersurface of a corresponding opening defined in the structural wall.

In another representative embodiment, a method of installing a wallpanel on a recreational vehicle comprises providing a wall panel havingat least one pre-formed panel opening and an inwardly extendingperipheral flange located along a perimeter of the at least onepre-formed panel opening. The method further comprises mounting the wallpanel on a structural wall of the recreational vehicle. The structuralwall can define at least one corresponding structural wall opening suchthat the peripheral flange covers an inner surface of the at least onestructural wall opening.

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the disclosure willbecome more apparent from the following detailed description, whichproceeds with reference to the accompanying figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a recreational vehicle having a wallpanel according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the front of the wall panel ofFIG. 1 and structural wall of the vehicle.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the rear of the wall panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational view of the wall panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a rear elevational view of the wall panel FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a partial perspective view of the front of the wall panel ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a partial perspective view of the rear of the wall panel ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 8 is a partial cross-sectional view of the wall panel of FIG. 1illustrating receipt of a wall flange of a slide-room by a recessedportion of the wall panel.

FIG. 9 is a side elevation view of the wall panel of FIG. 1.

FIG. 10 is a partial side view of the wall panel of FIG. 1 mounted to astructural wall.

FIG. 11 is a partial perspective view of the wall panel of FIG. 1mounted to another embodiment of a structural wall.

FIG. 12 is a partial view of an alternative embodiment of a wall panelmounted to a structural wall.

FIG. 13 is a front elevational view of another embodiment of a wallpanel.

FIG. 14 is a rear elevational view of the wall panel of FIG. 13.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of another embodiment of a wallpanel and a structural wall.

FIG. 16 is a front elevational view of an alternative embodiment of thewall panel of FIG. 13.

FIG. 17 is a rear elevational view of the wall panel of FIG. 16.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present disclosure concerns embodiments of a wall panel for avehicle. A vehicle can have one or more wall panels of the same size andshape or differing sizes and/or shapes. As used herein, the term“vehicle” refers generally to any vehicle that has a power source (e.g.,motor or engine) or a towable vehicle that is coupled to a drivenvehicle for travelling from place to place. A vehicle can include,without limitation, a tractor-trailer, a folding camping trailer, atruck camper, a conventional travel trailer, a fifth wheel traveltrailer, a sport utility recreational vehicle, a motorhome (e.g., classA, B, and C motorhomes), a horse trailer, a military trailer, or autility trailer, to name a few. The embodiments of wall panels disclosedherein can also be installed in less mobile structures, such as mobilehomes, house boats, mobile offices or command centers. If desired, thewall panels can also be installed in permanent structures, such ashouses, stores, etc.

FIG. 1 illustrates a vehicle 10 in the form of a recreational vehicle(RV) having a wall panel 12 configured as the exterior surface of the RVwall. In the illustrated embodiment, the wall panel 12 includes a mainbody 13 and first and second pre-formed panel openings 14 and 16. Asused herein, the term “pre-formed” means that an opening or othercomponent of a wall panel is formed in the wall panel when it is moldedor otherwise made. The first panel opening 14 is configured to receive aslide-room 18, which includes a peripheral wall flange 26 and is movablethrough the first panel opening 14 between a retracted position and anextended position. The second panel opening 16 can be configured toreceive, for example, a window. In alternative embodiments, the wallpanel 12 can have a single pre-formed panel opening, or more than twopre-formed panel openings (see, e.g., FIG. 15), as desired. In someembodiments, the wall panel 12 can extend along substantially the entirelength of one side of the RV 10. The pre-formed panel opening(s) canalso be any of various shapes and sizes, depending upon the particularstructural feature to be installed in the wall of the vehicle.

The wall panel 12 can be a one-piece unitary construction, and can bemounted to the exterior of a prefabricated structural wall or frame 17(see FIGS. 2 and 10-12) of the RV 10 by, for example, adhesives orfasteners (e.g., screws, rivets, etc.). As used herein, the terms“unitary construction” and “integrally formed” refer to a constructionthat does not include any welds, fasteners, or other means for securingseparately formed pieces of material to each other. As shown in FIG. 2,the structural wall 17 can have rough-cut wall openings 23 and 25corresponding to the first and second panel openings 14 and 16,respectively, of the wall panel 12. In this manner, when the wall panel12 is mounted to the structural wall 17, the wall openings 23, 25 in thestructural wall 17 are aligned with the first and second panel openings14, 16 of the wall panel 12. In alternative embodiments, the wall panel12 can include any number of pre-formed panel openings configured toreceive any combination of features or structures (e.g., windows, doors,slide-rooms, vents, televisions, etc.).

Referring to FIGS. 2-9, the wall panel 12 can include pre-formedperipheral recessed portions 20 and 21 extending along the perimeter ofthe respective panel openings 14 and 16 on the exterior surface 22 ofthe wall panel 12. For ease of illustration, portions of the followingdescription proceed with respect to the recessed portion 20 of the panelopening 14. However, it should be understood that the followingdescription is applicable to the recessed portion 21 of the wall opening16 and/or any other recessed portion of any other panel openingdisclosed herein. The recessed portion 20 can be defined by one or morebends or radiused corners 36 in the material of the wall panel 12surrounding the panel opening 14 so as to form a first portion 38 and asecond portion 40, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8. The first portion 38can extend inwardly (i.e., rearwardly) from the wall panel 12, and thesecond portion 40 can extend orthogonally with respect to the firstportion 38 (i.e., parallel to the exterior surface 22), as shown inFIGS. 6 and 8.

The second portion 40 defines a secondary surface 42 that can beinwardly offset from the exterior surface 22 of the wall panel 12 by adepth D. The recessed portion 20 can also have a width dimension W, asshown in FIGS. 6, 7 and 8. Depending upon the structure or feature to beaccommodated (e.g., slide-room 18), the width W and the depth D of therecessed portion 20 can be configured such that when installed, theexterior surface of the feature is substantially flush with the exteriorsurface 22 of the wall panel 12. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, thedepth D of the recessed portion 20 can be substantially equal to athickness X of the wall flange 26 of the slide-room 18 (shown inphantom). Similarly, the width W of the recessed portion 20 can besubstantially equal to a length dimension Y of the wall flange 26. Inthis manner, the interior surface of the wall flange 26 of theslide-room 18 contacts the secondary surface 42 of the recessed portion20 when the slide-room 18 is in the retracted position, and the exteriorsurface of the wall flange 26 is substantially flush with the exteriorsurface 22 of the wall panel 12 (for purposes of illustration, theslide-room 18 is shown in a partially extended position in FIG. 8). Thisconcept is applicable to other structures such as window frames, doorjambs, etc., in which the width W and the depth D of the recessedportion 20 can be configured such that the exterior surfaces of therespective structures are substantially flush with the exterior surface22 of the wall panel 12 when installed.

In the embodiment shown, the radiused corners 36 in the material of thewall panel 12 that define the recessed portion 20 can be configured suchthat an angle between the peripheral flange 28 and the secondary surface42 is substantially 90 degrees, and the secondary surface 42 issubstantially parallel to the exterior surface 22 of the wall panel 12.However, the radiused corners 36 can be configured such that thesecondary surface 42 has any suitable planar orientation or taper withrespect to the exterior surface 22 depending upon the shape of theparticular feature to be accommodated. In alternative embodiments, therecessed portions 20 and 21 can have any suitable number of radiusedcorners, planes or secondary surfaces. In this manner, the recessedportions 20 and 21 can allow the wall panel 12 to accommodate variousstructures while presenting an aesthetically pleasing exterior profile.Additionally, in the illustrated embodiment, the recessed portions 20and 21 are substantially the same shape as the respective panel openings14 and 16 that they surround. However, the shape of the recessedportions 20 and 21 can be varied as necessary to match the shape of theparticular feature to be accommodated.

FIG. 10 illustrates the wall panel 12 mounted to the structural wall 17.The structural wall 17 can include a notch 19 surrounding the rough wallopening 23 with width and depth dimensions corresponding substantiallyto the width W and depth D of the recessed portion 20. In this manner,the structural wall 17 can accommodate the pre-formed recessed portion20 of the wall panel 12 when the wall panel 12 is mounted to thestructural wall 17. The notch 19 can conform substantially to thecontours and radiused corners of the recessed portion 20, as shown inFIG. 10. Alternatively, the notch 19 can be, for example, a rectangularcutout, as shown in FIG. 11. In alternative embodiments, the recessedportion 20 can also be configured to accommodate additional elements,such as seals or gaskets. For example, the recessed portion 20 caninclude secondary recesses or wells in which seals or gaskets can bereceived to provide sealing between the slide-room 18 and the wall panel12. Alternatively, the recessed portion 20 can accommodate seals orgaskets without secondary recesses or other formations. In anotheralternative embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the pre-formed panel opening 14need not include a recess, but can be defined by a 90° angle or bend.

Referring again to FIGS. 2-9, the pre-formed panel openings 14 and 16can also include respective integrally-formed peripheral flanges 28 and29 that extend rearwardly or inwardly from respective second portions ofthe recessed portions, such as the second portion 40 of recessed portion20. The peripheral flanges 28 and 29 can be located along the perimetersof the respective panel openings 14, 16, and can extend inwardly fromthe panel openings 14, 16 so as to cover rough-cut inner surfaces 31, 33of the corresponding wall openings 23, 25 in the structural wall 17, asshown in FIG. 2. In this manner, when the wall panel 12 is mounted ontothe structural wall 17, the peripheral flanges 28 and 29 cover the innersurfaces 31 and 33 of the respective rough-cut wall openings 23 and 25to give the wall a finished appearance without the need for installationof additional materials.

Referring again to panel opening 14 for ease of illustration, theperipheral flange 28 can have a length L, as shown in FIGS. 6, 7, and 8.In some embodiments, the length L of the peripheral flange 28, togetherwith the depth D of the recessed portion 20, can substantially equal athickness T of the structural wall 17 (see FIG. 10) such that theperipheral flange 28 covers and finishes the inner surface 31 of thewall opening 23. Alternatively, the length L of the peripheral flange 28can also be configured to interface with or contact an interior laminate34 applied to the interior-facing side of the structural wall 17, asshown in FIGS. 11 and 12. However, in further alternative embodiments,the length L of the peripheral flange 28 can be configured to extendover or cover the interior laminate 34. The peripheral flange 28 canalso extend directly from the exterior surface 22 of the wall panel 12,as shown in FIG. 12.

The wall panel 12 can be fabricated from a variety of materials,including metal (e.g., aluminum, steel, etc.), or composite materialssuch as fiber-reinforced polymer (e.g., fiberglass, carbon fiber, etc.),and can be stamped, bent or molded as dictated by the particularmaterial selected. In this manner, the wall panel 12 can be speciallydesigned to include panel openings, recessed portions, and peripheralflanges of the appropriate sizes and shapes for any combination offeatures required by the RV design, and can be easily produced in thedesired quantities. The wall panel 12 can then be mounted to theprefabricated structural wall 17 to create a finished RV wall thatrequires no additional moldings.

FIGS. 13-14 illustrate another embodiment of a wall panel 112. The wallpanel 112 can have a one-piece unitary construction, and can have a mainbody 113 and first and second pre-formed panel openings 114, 116, withthe first panel opening 114 extending to the lower edge of the wallpanel 112. Each of the panel openings 114 and 116 can include respectivepre-formed peripheral recessed portions 120 and 121, and integrallyformed flanges 128 and 129 similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1, exceptthat the recessed portion 120 and the flange 128 extend along only threesides of the first panel opening 114. The wall panel 112 can beconfigured to be mounted to a structural wall having wall openingscorresponding to the panel openings 114, 116, similar to the embodimentof FIG. 1.

In an alternative embodiment of the wall panel 112 shown in FIGS. 16-17,the first pre-formed panel opening 114 can extend from the upper edge tothe lower edge of the wall panel 112, dividing the wall panel 112 intofirst and second spaced-apart wall panel portions 112 a, 112 b,respectively. In the embodiment shown, the wall panel portions 112 a and112 b can have respective spaced apart edge portions 114 a, 114 b, thedistance between which can define the width of the first panel opening114. The edge portions 114 a, 114 b of the wall panel portions 112 a,112 b can include respective recessed portions 140 and 142, and flanges150 and 152 similar to the embodiment of FIG. 1. In this manner, thefirst panel opening 114 can be configured to receive, for example, aslide-room that extends from the floor to the roof of an RV.

Referring now to FIG. 15, there is shown another embodiment of a wallpanel 212 having a main body 213, a first pre-formed panel opening 214,a second pre-formed panel opening 216, a third pre-formed panel opening218, and a fourth pre-formed panel opening 220. The first and secondpanel openings 214, 216 can be configured to receive, for example, aslide-room and a window, respectively, similar to the embodiment ofFIG. 1. The third and fourth panel openings 218, 220 can be configuredto receive, for example, a second slide-room and a door, respectively,or any other suitable feature. The wall panel 212 can have a one-pieceunitary construction, and can include pre-formed peripheral recessedportions and integrally formed peripheral flanges similar to therecessed portions and flanges of the embodiment of FIG. 1. The wallpanel 212 can also be mounted to a structural wall 217 having wallopenings 215, 219, 221, and 223 corresponding to the pre-formed panelopenings 214, 216, 218, 220, respectively, to form a finished RV wallthat requires no additional moldings.

General Considerations

For purposes of this description, certain aspects, advantages, and novelfeatures of the embodiments of this disclosure are described herein. Thedisclosed methods, apparatuses, and systems should not be construed aslimiting in any way. Instead, the present disclosure is directed towardall novel and nonobvious features and aspects of the various disclosedembodiments, alone and in various combinations and sub-combinations withone another. The methods, apparatuses, and systems are not limited toany specific aspect or feature or combination thereof, nor do thedisclosed embodiments require that any one or more specific advantagesbe present or problems be solved.

Although the operations of some of the disclosed methods are describedin a particular, sequential order for convenient presentation, it shouldbe understood that this manner of description encompasses rearrangement,unless a particular ordering is required by specific language. Forexample, operations described sequentially may in some cases berearranged or performed concurrently. Moreover, for the sake ofsimplicity, the attached figures may not show the various ways in whichthe disclosed methods can be used in conjunction with other methods. Asused herein, the terms “a”, “an” and “at least one” encompass one ormore of the specified element. That is, if two of a particular elementare present, one of these elements is also present and thus “an” elementis present. The terms “a plurality of” and “plural” mean two or more ofthe specified element.

As used herein, the term “and/or” used between the last two of a list ofelements means any one or more of the listed elements. For example, thephrase “A, B, and/or C” means “A,” “B,” “C,” “A and B,” “A and C,” “Band C” or “A, B and C.”

As used herein, the term “coupled” generally means physically coupled orlinked and does not exclude the presence of intermediate elementsbetween the coupled items absent specific contrary language.

In view of the many possible embodiments to which the principles of thedisclosure may be applied, it should be recognized that the illustratedembodiments are only preferred examples should not be taken as limitingthe scope of the disclosure. Rather, the scope of the disclosure isdefined by the following claims. We therefore claim all that comeswithin the scope and spirit of these claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. An assembly, comprising: a vehicle; a wall panelmounted to a structural wall of the vehicle, the structural wall of thevehicle comprising a wall opening, the wall panel including a main bodydefining at least one pre-formed panel opening corresponding to the wallopening of the structural wall, the wall panel having an exteriorsurface, the wall panel further including a peripheral flange locatedalong a perimeter of the panel opening and extending inwardly from aninner peripheral edge of the exterior surface such that the peripheralflange at least partially extends across a thickness of the structuralwall and covers an inner surface of the wall opening; and a slide-roomsituated in the structural wall opening and the panel opening, andmovable between an extended position and a retracted position.
 2. Theassembly of claim 1, wherein the peripheral flange is configured tocontact an interior laminate applied to an interior-facing side of thestructural wall.
 3. The assembly of claim 1, wherein the wall panelfurther comprises a second pre-formed panel opening configured toreceive a window, a door, a slide-room, a vent, or a television.
 4. Theassembly of claim 1, wherein the peripheral flange is integrally formedwith the exterior surface of the main body.
 5. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the wall panel is made from a fiber-reinforced polymer compositematerial.
 6. The assembly of claim 1, further comprising a radiusedcorner extending along the perimeter of the panel opening between theexterior surface and the peripheral flange.
 7. The assembly of claim 1,wherein the panel opening is defined by three side portions of the wallpanel and is open on one side.
 8. A method, comprising: mounting a wallpanel on a structural wall of a vehicle, the structural wall of thevehicle comprising a wall opening, the wall panel including a main bodydefining at least one pre-formed panel opening corresponding to the wallopening of the structural wall, the wall panel having an exteriorsurface and a peripheral flange located along a perimeter of the panelopening, the peripheral flange extending inwardly from an innerperipheral edge of the exterior surface such that the peripheral flangeat least partially extends across a thickness of the structural wall andcovers an inner surface of the wall opening; and installing a slide-roomin the panel opening and the structural wall opening.
 9. The method ofclaim 8, wherein mounting the wall panel further comprises mounting thewall panel such that the peripheral flange contacts an interior laminateapplied to an interior-facing side of the structural wall.
 10. Themethod of claim 8, wherein the peripheral flange is integrally formedwith the exterior surface of the main body.
 11. The method of claim 8,wherein the wall panel is made from fiber-reinforced polymer compositematerial.
 12. The method of claim 8, further comprising installing awindow or a door in a second pre-formed panel opening defined in thewall panel.
 13. An assembly, comprising: a vehicle; a wall panel mountedto a structural wall of the vehicle, the structural wall of the vehiclecomprising a wall opening, the wall panel including a main body definingat least one pre-formed panel opening corresponding to the wall openingof the structural wall, the wall panel having an exterior surface, thewall panel further including a peripheral flange located along aperimeter of the panel opening and extending inwardly from an innerperipheral edge of the exterior surface substantially perpendicular tothe exterior surface of the main body such that the peripheral flange atleast partially extends across a thickness of the structural wall andcovers an inner surface of the wall opening; and a slide-room situatedin the structural wall opening and the panel opening, and movablebetween an extended position and a retracted position; wherein theperipheral flange is configured to contact an interior laminate appliedto an interior-facing side of the structural wall.
 14. The assembly ofclaim 13, wherein the wall panel further comprises a second pre-formedpanel opening configured to receive a window, a door, a slide-room, avent, or a television.
 15. The assembly of claim 13, wherein theperipheral flange is integrally formed with the exterior surface of themain body.
 16. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the wall panel is madefrom a fiber-reinforced polymer composite material.
 17. The assembly ofclaim 13, further comprising a radiused corner extending along theperimeter of the panel opening between the exterior surface and theperipheral flange.
 18. The assembly of claim 13, wherein the panelopening is defined by three side portions of the wall panel and is openon one side.